Public Speaking Tips

noun the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words

• The poet used alliteration to create a rhythmic effect in his sonnet.
• I love how alliteration makes phrases sound catchy and fun.
• Alliteration is like when words start with the same sound, it's cool.
• The alliteration of 'singing in the rain' evokes a sense of joy and freedom.

noun the ability to speak fluently and coherently

verb to express oneself clearly and effectively in speech or writing

adjective having the ability to speak fluently and coherently

adverb articulately

• She was able to articulate her thoughts clearly during the presentation.
• He can really articulate his ideas well when he's talking to his friends.
• I couldn't believe how he articulated his argument in the debate.
• The artist was able to articulate the emotions of the painting through his use of color and brushstrokes.

verb to prepare oneself mentally or emotionally for something challenging or difficult

• It is important to brace up for the upcoming challenges in the project.
• Hey, brace up! We've got a lot of work to do today.
• Come on, brace up and let's get this party started!
• She had to brace up her emotions before giving the speech.

verb to speak or recite in a loud, theatrical manner

• The politician stood on the podium to declaim his speech to the crowd.
• She loves to declaim in front of her friends about her favorite TV show.
• I heard him declaiming about the game last night at the bar.
• The artist's paintings seem to declaim a message about society and culture.

noun a state of agitation or disturbance

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• The speaker maintained her composure despite the discomposure of the audience.
• She tried to hide her discomposure by laughing it off.
• He was totally thrown off by the situation, his discomposure was obvious.
• The discomposure in her voice revealed the depth of her emotions.

noun the manner in which something is enunciated, especially the articulation of speech sounds

• The professor's enunciation of the complex scientific theory was impeccable.
• I couldn't understand her enunciation, she talks too fast.
• His enunciation was on point during the rap battle.
• The artist's enunciation of emotions through her paintings was truly remarkable.

noun a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense to add rhetorical force to a spoken or written passage

preposition a word used before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship to another word in the sentence

• The author used a figure of speech to enhance the imagery in the poem.
• I love how she plays with figures of speech in her writing.
• That rapper has some sick figures of speech in his lyrics.
• The politician's statement was not to be taken literally, as it was a figure of speech.

noun the ability to speak or write a particular language easily and accurately

adjective describing someone who is able to speak or write a particular language easily and accurately

• Her fluency in multiple languages impressed the hiring committee.
• I wish I had the same fluency in Spanish as my cousin.
• Dude, his fluency in coding is off the charts!
• The dancer moved with such fluency that it seemed like she was floating on air.

adjective having a soft, dry, crumbly texture like that of meal

• The politician's mealy-mouthed response failed to address the concerns of the public.
• Stop being so mealy-mouthed and just tell me what you really think.
• I can't stand her mealy-mouthed excuses for not showing up on time.
• His mealy-mouthed compliments were as satisfying as a bland meal.

noun a quotation that is taken out of context or inaccurately attributed to someone

verb to quote inaccurately or out of context

• It is important to verify information before spreading it to avoid any misquote.
• Don't believe everything you hear, someone might misquote the facts.
• I can't believe they misquoted me like that, it's so frustrating.
• Her actions misquote her true intentions, leading to misunderstandings.

noun a long speech by one actor in a play or movie, or as part of a theatrical or broadcast program

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• The actor delivered a powerful monologue in the final act of the play.
• She went on a long monologue about her vacation plans.
• I can't stand when he goes on his monologue about politics.
• His constant complaining was like a never-ending monologue.

adjective feeling or expressing great embarrassment or shame

• She was absolutely mortified when she realized she had forgotten her lines during the play.
• I was so mortified when I tripped and spilled my drink all over myself at the party.
• I was mortified when I accidentally liked my crush's old Instagram photo.
• The team was mortified when they lost the championship game in the final seconds.

noun a person's voice that is full, round, and imposing

adjective full, round, and imposing in sound

• The orotund voice of the speaker filled the auditorium with rich, resonant tones.
• His orotund way of speaking always makes me laugh.
• I can't stand his orotund style of talking, it's so annoying.
• The orotund language used in the poem painted a vivid picture in my mind.

noun a temporary stop in action or speech

verb to stop temporarily in action or speech

• The speaker asked for a brief pause to gather their thoughts before continuing.
• Let's take a quick pause and grab some snacks before we continue watching the movie.
• I need to hit the pause button on this conversation and take a break.
• Sometimes we need to hit the pause button in life and reflect on our choices.

noun the quality of being easily understood or clear in expression

adjective perspicuous

• The perspicuity of the legal document made it easy for everyone to understand.
• I appreciate the perspicuity of your explanation.
• The perspicuity of his speech was on point.
• The perspicuity of her thoughts shone through in her writing.

noun the way in which a word is spoken or the way in which a letter is sounded out

verb to make the sound of a word or letter using your voice

adjective describing the act of speaking or sounding out words clearly

• In order to be understood clearly, it is important to pronounce each syllable correctly.
• I never know how to pronounce the names of those fancy restaurants.
• I can never pronounce that word, it's too complicated.
• She pronounced her decision to leave the company with a heavy heart.

noun the action of repeating something that has already been said or written

• The professor's reiteration of the main points helped reinforce the key concepts for the students.
• I lost count of how many times she said 'I told you so' - it was like a broken record reiteration.
• Stop with the constant reiteration, we get it already!
• Her actions were a reiteration of her commitment to the cause, showing her dedication through repetition.

noun A person who is skilled in the art of rhetoric; an expert in public speaking or writing

• The renowned rhetorician delivered a compelling speech at the conference.
• I heard that the rhetorician is giving a talk at the event tonight.
• That rhetorician really knows how to spin a story to make it sound good.
• As a rhetorician of emotions, he knew exactly how to manipulate the crowd's feelings.

adjective a confident and self-reliant person or manner

• The CEO appeared self-assured during the press conference.
• She always seems so self-assured, like nothing can faze her.
• He's got this cool, self-assured vibe that draws people to him.
• Her self-assured demeanor was like a shield against any doubts or insecurities.

adjective having confidence in oneself; self-assured

• She exuded a self-confident demeanor during the job interview.
• He always seems so self-confident, like nothing can shake him.
• She's totally feeling herself, so self-confident!
• His self-confident aura was like a shield against any doubts or criticisms.

verb to communicate or express thoughts, feelings, or information through speech

• It is important to speak clearly and concisely during a formal presentation.
• I can't wait to speak to my friends about the concert last night.
• I'll speak to you later, dude.
• Her eyes seemed to speak volumes about her emotions.

noun the quality that a performer has that makes them seem interesting and important when they are performing on stage

• The actor's stage presence captivated the audience throughout the entire performance.
• She has such a strong stage presence, everyone loves watching her perform.
• His stage presence is off the charts - he really knows how to work the crowd.
• Her stage presence was like a shining light in the darkness of the theater.

noun a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetition of sounds, syllables, or words

verb to speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions

• The young boy's stammer made it difficult for him to speak clearly in front of the class.
• Whenever she gets nervous, she tends to stammer a bit while talking.
• Don't stammer, just spit it out!
• His stammer in public speaking symbolized his lack of confidence in himself.

noun a person who talks or converses, especially in a specified way or on a specified subject

• The keynote speaker at the conference was an excellent talker, captivating the audience with his eloquent speech.
• My friend is such a talker, she can chat for hours without getting bored.
• That guy is a smooth talker, he can sweet talk his way out of any situation.
• In the world of politics, being a good talker is often more important than being truthful.

noun a person who is unable to speak or articulate clearly due to nervousness or shyness

• During the presentation, I found myself tongue tied and struggled to articulate my thoughts clearly.
• I always get tongue tied whenever I try to talk to my crush.
• I was totally tongue tied when I tried to speak in front of the whole class.
• Her beauty left me completely tongue tied, unable to form any coherent sentences.

adjective describing something that lacks rhythm or is not rhythmic

• The unrhythmical pattern of the music made it difficult for the orchestra to stay in sync.
• I can't dance to this unrhythmical beat, it's throwing me off.
• The song sounded so unrhythmical, I couldn't even bob my head to it.
• Her unrhythmical speech made it hard for anyone to follow her train of thought.

adjective describing someone who speaks clearly and eloquently

• She is always well-spoken and eloquent in her speeches.
• He comes across as well-spoken and articulate in casual conversations.
• Dude, that guy is seriously well-spoken, like he could talk his way out of anything.
• The painting was so well-spoken, each brushstroke seemed to convey a different emotion.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

adverb a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, often providing information about time, manner, place, or degree

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence

article a word that specifies a noun as definite or indefinite (e.g. 'the', 'a', 'an')

• During the meeting, the chairman will hold the floor to address the important issues.
• I'll hold the floor at the party and share some interesting stories with everyone.
• Let me hold the floor during the presentation and show them what I've got.
• Her powerful speech held the floor and captivated the audience.

adjective providing information or knowledge; informative

• The pamphlet contained informatory content about the upcoming conference.
• The email was very informatory, it had all the details we needed.
• The website had some really cool and informatory stuff on it.
• Her gestures were so informatory that I could tell exactly what she was thinking.

noun a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action or state of being

preposition a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence

article a word that is used to limit a noun, either indefinite (a, an) or definite (the)

• The speaker used powerful imagery to draw attention to the importance of environmental conservation.
• I wanted to call attention to the new restaurant opening in town.
• Let's draw attention to the awesome street art in this neighborhood.
• The artist's use of vibrant colors really draws attention to the focal point of the painting.

noun a surgical procedure to improve the tone and quality of the voice

• The actress underwent a voice lift procedure to enhance her vocal range.
• I heard that Sarah got a voice lift to sound better on stage.
• I'm thinking about getting a voice lift so I can sing like a pro.
• The new microphone gave his voice a lift during the performance.

noun a person who is skilled in rhetoric or persuasive speaking

• The rhetor presented a compelling argument using persuasive language.
• The rhetor really knows how to talk people into things.
• That rhetor is a smooth talker, always convincing everyone of his point.
• The rhetor's words were like a powerful weapon, cutting through any doubts or objections.

adjective Pauciloquent is an adjective that describes someone who speaks very little or uses few words.

• The pauciloquent speaker delivered a concise and impactful presentation.
• He's not one to ramble on, he's quite pauciloquent when he speaks.
• She's not much of a talker, very pauciloquent in conversations.
• The artist's pauciloquent brush strokes created a sense of mystery in the painting.